


cursed image

by bestcarrot



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 02:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15921424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestcarrot/pseuds/bestcarrot
Summary: That thing which must not be seen, was seen by Wakatoshi-kun.





	cursed image

**Author's Note:**

> prompt as follows--
> 
> "cursed image: a cob of corn, but instead of corn kernels it is teeth"
> 
> enjoy

Ushijima Wakatoshi woke in a cold sweat at exactly 2:30 am on a goddamned school night, accompanied only by the dark of his dorm room and the ceiling fan whirring in monotonous hums overhead.

Today, mistakes had been made.

Unsurprisingly, it was all Tendou's fault.

When afternoon practice had ended, Tendou with his usual refreshing candor had slung an arm over Ushijima's broad shoulders and shoved his battered iPhone into Ushijima's hands.

“Wakatoshi-kun, check this out!” The sly grin on Tendou's face should have warned any unsuspecting volleyball player not to peer into the smartphone's cracked screen.

While Goshiki had hovered close beside Ushijima with a burning curiosity, Ōhira had begun to say, “Uh, I don't think that's a good idea,” in what Ushijima later realizes to be his noble attempt at sparing another potential victim, but it was far too late.

They had all seen the picture.

And now, in the dead of night, Ushijima Wakatoshi—top three wing spiker of the country, captain and ace of the Shiratorizawa VBC—laid curled up on his bed, the covers pulled all the way up to his head.

Deep breaths he took—in, out. In, out.

Very soon the lull of sleep returned, and he closed his eyes slowly, slowly, slowly—

Only to open them again in a panic, jumping off his bed and out the room within seconds.

The cursed image from Tendou's cursed Twitter account haunted his mind's eye, but he would not back down without a fight. He is Ushijima Wakatoshi, captain of the elite Shiratorizawa VBC, Super Ace of Miyagi prefecture. Many a close match he has played, hard-won victories against the strongest schools in Japan. He'd honed his mental fortitude like the sharp blade of a samurai's katana.

Hence at 2:41 am on a Wednesday night, Ushijima stood alone in the dormitory halls lit only by the emergency exit lights toward the end. His jaw clenched as his mind fell into deep thought—-

There was a time in class when their teacher had talked about the fable of Oscar the Osprey. This was back in kindergarten. Contrary to the very nature of his design, Oscar the Osprey was the bird who was afraid of heights, the bird who just could not.

Whatever happened to Oscar the Osprey, Ushijima could no longer remember. It was years ago, after all. But that didn't matter, it simply boiled down to the importance fighting spirit—the innate ability to survive against all odds.

Ushijima Wakatoshi was no measly osprey. He was the mighty eagle, majestic in its flight, pure white wings rising higher above all, and he would face his fears head on with the full force of his spirit.

With a decision made, he walked tall and strong down the hallway, past the common lounge, into the pantry area.

Out the window, the full moon shone its light, the celestial guide in man's journey to overcome his fear of the night unknown. Or in this case, the impure delusions wrought by an image damned by the devil himself.

Ushijima's heart beat faster. Blood rushed to his head, and the tingling on his skin grew incessant. He steeled himself before the cupboard. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. In three, two, one, he mustered all his strength and wrenched the doors open.

The cupboard's contents revealed cereal boxes among granola bars stacked atop whey protein powder in their massive canisters. There was a packet of microwavable popcorn.

“Hmp.” Close, but not quite. All clear on this end.

But it wasn't over until it was over.

He shut the cupboards softly, as if the slightest noise could wake the demons of hell, and turned to the canteen's direction. At this hour, it was closed, but the backdoor to the kitchen was always unlocked, granting hungry high schoolers the opportunity for late night snacking.

He crept inside, quickly spotting the food bins on the counter. There were two boxes—one for apples and pears, cloyingly sweet underneath the crisp skin. The fruits were in season.

He grabbed a pleasingly round apple and tucked it into his pajama pocket.

Then it was the moment of truth.

His trembling hand hovered over the second box of produce. Stalks of celery peeked through the thin cloth draped over the box, and there was also the rough outline of leeks and potatoes and cabbages and—

“Eh? Who's there?”

Ushijima hunched frozen beside the vegetables. In his close attention, he'd failed to notice the strip of white light from the open refrigerator.

“Oh, it's just you.” Tendou spoke as he chewed.

“You'll get a stomachache if you eat so much when it's this late,” Ushijima said.

Tendou looked to the cold sausage in his hand and shrugged. “Well, whatever. More importantly, Wakatoshi-kun, let's hurry back before the guard catches us again.”

With a single nod, Ushijima let Tendou drag him back out the door. They passed the boxes of produce, and Ushijima allowed him one last look before he finally shook his head in dismissal. He's had enough fun tonight, and he looked forward to crawling back under his covers, finally at ease.

It was only a picture, after all.

And when Goshiki's screams of terror echoed throughout the dorm, waking the entire first-year floor, well. Ushijima had nothing to do with that.

**Author's Note:**

> save him


End file.
